Sujeet Kalkal Turns Seven-Point Deficit Into Asian Games Gold

With the final slipping away, Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal trailed Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev 2-9, with just 1 minute and 40 seconds left. Then the 23-year-old attacked. A run of takedowns brought him back into the bout, and he scored the winning points for a 10-9 victory and Asian Games gold. ^1,3

That comeback capped a demanding day in the men’s freestyle 65kg event. Kalkal first beat Japan’s reigning Olympic champion, Kotaro Kiyooka, in a tense semifinal that ended 3-3. He advanced under the scoring rule used to break the tie. Earlier, he had beaten Afghanistan’s Sayed Omar Zazai and Iran’s Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi. Against Kudiev, Kalkal turned a seven-point gap into the title with eight unanswered points. ^7,11

Eight points changed more than the final score. India had not won an Asian Games wrestling gold since Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat topped the podium in 2018, so Kalkal ended an eight-year gap. His victory also restored India’s success in the men’s 65kg class, where Yogeshwar Dutt won gold in 2014 and Punia did so in 2018. The result came after Kalkal had already beaten an Olympic champion on home soil. ^3,5

That gold joined a busy day for India, with boxers Parveen Hooda and Ankush Panghal also winning titles. India’s gold count rose to 15, putting the country fifth in the standings, according to one report. For Kalkal, the result marked his first Asian Games title and a remarkable finish after he appeared close to defeat. ^2,9